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Getting a ZX Spectrum to work in the US

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Comments

  • zxbrunozxbruno
    edited September 2010
    I'm curious now! Any video clips to show us? Any more pictures? What was your final solution for the power and display issues?
  • KropotkinKropotkin
    edited September 2010
    zxbruno wrote: »
    I'm curious now! Any video clips to show us? Any more pictures? What was your final solution for the power and display issues?

    You can read all about it here: http://shfts.com/?p=3350
  • MarceloMarcelo
    edited September 2010
    Excerpt from a comment in the page posted by Kropotkin (hope I do not break any netiquette or law by copying this, and adding the pic link):
    Custardo
    Posted September 8, 2010 at 3:55 PM
    [... snip ...]
    As an aside, I’m amazed at how Rick Dickinson’s case designs for the ZX computers are holding up, even after more than 30 years. Sitting in from of an LCD display, your Spectrum is still looking pretty modern (were it not for the joystick and terribly BROWN tape recorder). Even Sinclair’s power brick looks the best of any system I know.
    Not 30 years yet, but way to go Speccy!

    Marcelo.
  • beanzbeanz
    edited September 2010
    Glad you got it working and it was the speccy's appearance was successful.
  • BloodBazBloodBaz
    edited November 2010
    csmith wrote: »
    Get the polarity right though. Centre is negative. Outside positive. Kinda backwards....

    I wonder why Sinclair chose this polarity?
    Was there no general standard at the time?
  • RetroTechieRetroTechie
    edited November 2010
    There was no general standard, ever. Just "center pin +" being the more common variety. For low current, low voltage DC it really doesn't make any difference what you pick. With 2 wires side by side it's the same for the cord, the sole difference is how the wires are connected in the plug.

    Perhaps it was easier in terms of circuit board layout. Or 1000 boards were produced before someone discovered the connections should be reversed, and Clive decided to leave it at that. Or 1000 power supplies (with plug attached) were bought cheaply before PCB or power supply housing was done. Or designers had a couple power supplies with center pin - that they used during Spectrum development. Or some silly reason like that... :D

    FWIW: in physical sense, "center pin -" means "surplus of electrons at the center pin".
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